This invention generally relates to the field of occlusion devices, delivery systems for such devices and the method of using such devices and systems in the occlusion of body passageways. The invention is particularly useful for occluding reproductive lumens such as a female patient's fallopian tubes or a male patient's vas deferens to provide contraception.
Conventional contraceptive strategies generally fall within three categories: physical barriers, drugs and surgery. While each have certain advantages, they also suffer from various drawbacks. Barriers such as condoms and diaphragms are subject to failure due to breakage, displacement and misplacement. Drug strategies, such as the pill and Norplant™, which rely on artificially controlling hormone levels, suffer from known and unknown side-effects from prolonged use. Surgical procedures, such as tubal ligation and vasectomy, are very effective, but involve the costs and attendant risks of surgery, and are frequently not reversible.
Recently, minimally invasive treatments have be proposed which deploy occluding stent-like devices within reproductive lumens, e.g. the fallopian tubes or vas deferens, as a contraceptive alternative to tubal ligation or vasectomy. In application, the occluding stent-like devices are advanced to the target site of the body lumen utilizing a catheter system. Care must be taken so as to not kink the catheter system during advancement, as well as to avoid perforating the reproductive lumen with the catheter system.